Your next bold move
by mieh
Summary: Story originally posted on Darvey Secret Santa account. Harvey's against decorating the firm for Christmas, until an ulterior motive changes his mind.


**This story was originally written for and posted on Darvey Secret Santa account.** Thank you to all the lovely people there who read, guessed, reviewed and organized the gift exchange. Thank you to Kris for the insane amount of support and to my amazing beta, Blue.

I've done a bit of editing on this, but nothing major. Just leaving this here now for keepsake :)

.

* * *

 **December 1** **2th,** **5:30PM**

She had been hoping to do this when Harvey was not around to avoid his very predictable complaints but the man didn't have one single appointment outside the firm today.

He's at his desk, concentrating on some paperwork, but she feels his eyes follow her around when she struts inside the office as if it were her own, not even bothering to say hi, and places the big box she's carrying on one of the chairs across from him, bending down to reach its contents.

Harvey's brows furrow. "Donna?"

She looks up and smiles innocently. "Harvey."

"What are you doing there?" He stretches his neck, trying to see what she's doing across the table, but there's no need because Donna lifts a green object from inside the box and what she's doing become obvious. Harvey grunts.

"Just adding some holiday spirit." She walks to the corner of the office and places a small tabletop Christmas tree beside his record player, turning on a flick to make little red lights twinkle between the fake leaves.

"If it's a spirit, I'm not supposed to see it."

She can't help but let out a small chuckle. "Can you help me with this?" she asks, as she lifts a long, green garland with snowy white speckles and entwined twinkle lights from the box.

"Help you choke me with that thing?"

She rolls her eyes and drags the object across the office, stretching herself to the tips of her high heeled shoes to hook the garland to the top corner of the shelf that holds his record collection. Looking back over her shoulder to check if Harvey is more willing to help, she finds him staring at a suspiciously low region of her anatomy.

He recovers quickly. "You know I'm just going to take it down, don't you?"

"No you won't," she dismisses as she turns back again, looping the garland across the front of the shelf and stretching herself one more time to pin it to the other side. "I've always added _at least_ one snowman to you office and you've never taken it out."

"No you didn't."

"Just because you didn't see it, it doesn't mean it wasn't there." She winks.

"You're kidding?" Donna giggles and shakes her head. "And this is much more than a snowman!"

"Well, it's managing partner's orders. We're decorating the firm for Christmas." She goes back to the box, choosing a big snow globe, with a whole Christmas village inside, and placing it on his window sill.

"I don't give a damn, I'm not turning my office into Santa's crib!"

"You're such a drama queen! You have three little things!" She looks around his office, admiring her work. "I think it looks good."

"Wait," he finally catches up. "You said you're decorating _the firm_? As in the whole firm?"

"Yep."

"That's ridiculous!"

"Why? We always have a Christmas tree at the reception desk. We're just expanding a bit this year."

Something behind her back attracts Harvey's attention. He looks up through the glass door to see a janitor placing a rather large Christmas tree in the hallway outside.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Like I said, managing partner's orders." Donna shrugs and takes back the decorations box, walking out of Harvey's office, but finds him immediately following after.

"I'm speaking with Louis. This isn't a child's play, this is a law firm."

"Such a Grinch…" Donna mumbles, ignoring his rant all the way down the corridor while Harvey gets progressively more annoyed at the sight of all the decorations on their way.

When they reach Louis, he's walking out of his office with Katrina. He opens his mouth to greet them, but Harvey's already ranting.

"Louis! What's got into your head that you needed to make it look like Santa Claus threw up inside the firm?"

"You don't like it? It looks so festive!"

"Yeah, it's a freaking Christmas miracle. Tone it down."

"If we're putting this to a vote, just so you know, I am not toning it down. But why are you taking this up with me and not Donna?"

"What?" Harvey looks between the two of them, frowning in confusion as he notices a tiny smirk on Donna's lips.

"Well, she's in charge of Christmas decorations."

"But she said…" he starts, but then the penny drops and he looks at her, cocking his head to the side, an unamused raise of his eyebrows.

" _The real managing partner,"_ Donna mouths in his direction, making an effort not to laugh and then adding, "I like it, okay?"

"I think it looks lovely, and the clients will appreciate it," Katrina adds politely.

"Thank you, Katrina!" She's grateful for the backup, though she probably doesn't need it.

Harvey still looks very much unamused as he opens his mouth to argue, but gets interrupted by Louis.

"By the way, did you see where you're standing?"

"What?" Harvey quizzes, glancing down to see if he stepped on something, until Katrina shyly points up, indicating something above his and Donna's head.

Donna and Harvey simultaneously roll their eyes at the sight of the mistletoe above them.

"But this is serious!" Louis poses vehemently before they can even brush him off. "You can't just ignore tradition."

"Louis, you're Jewish," Donna feels the need to remind him.

"Yeah, and even I know it's serious. A few years ago Esther refused to kiss someone under a mistletoe and, next thing, she broke her foot in three places!"

"How are those things related?"

"And," he goes on as if he didn't hear the question, "two years ago this beautiful woman at the Pfizer Christmas gala didn't want to kiss me under the mistletoe and _five minutes_ later the waiter spilled a whole bucket of gravy on her dress!"

Donna side glances Harvey to find the biggest dumbfounded expression on his face, and something tells her she looks about the same, because how do you even start to counter argue something so nonsensical. Their silence makes Louis think he's made his point.

"So…" he makes a gesture with his hands, ushering them to get on with it already. "Oh, wait a second." He moves to Donna and grabs the box from her hands.

Donna is about to let out a nervous laughter at the awkwardness of the situation, but then she looks at Harvey and sees him swallow, his jaw clenching, hands fisting at the sides of his body. He is seriously considering doing it. Her lips part slowly, gaping at his, the slightest shake of her head to tell him he can't be serious.

"It's just a kiss." She faintly hears Katrina's voice by her side, but can't concentrate much because Harvey takes a step towards her, the side of his mouth pulling in an almost imperceptible smirk.

She can feel the warmth of his breath on her lips when he says, in the smoothest of tones, "You're the one who insisted on holiday traditions, Donna."

She can't even react when he's this close. He leans in and she feels his nose brush hers lightly until his top lip grazes over hers. Something warm moves in the pit of her stomach and a shiver runs down her spine. His lips are soft and wet when they press against hers. He must've had just swiped his tongue over them before kissing her. Harvey lightly sucks on her bottom lip and then he's gone.

It takes her a second longer than it should have to open her eyes and find him staring down at her. Jaw set, eyes dark. He takes a step backwards.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Katrina's voice wakes her up from her daze. She looks between her and Louis, wide-eyed, having completely forgotten they were there for the mere three seconds that kiss lasted. Harvey didn't even touch her…

"So," Louis stares at them, weirdly red in the face. "Can you two work this out? We're leaving for Court."

Donna feels herself nod, still a little numb, and watches Louis place the box of decorations on the cubicle beside him before he leaves with Katrina.

"I guess we're decorating the firm then," Harvey's voice grabs her attention.

She makes the effort to sound flippant when she says, "That's what I've been saying."

"What else do you have in here?" he asks, turning his back to her and fumbling with the box's content until he sees something that catches his attention.

"What is it?" Donna notices his pause.

"Nothing. I'll help you."

"You're—what?"

"I'll help you decorate."

She eyes him suspiciously and repeats his words to make sure she heard them right, "You'll help me decorate?"

"Yes, let's go." He takes the box and strides in front of her leaving a completely baffled Donna to follow behind.

She blinks back a couple of times, watching Harvey walk down the corridor before she reigns in enough rational thought to stride after him.

First he kisses her, now he's decorating. She can't tell which is weirder, but he's acting as if nothing out of the ordinary happened at all. She's thinking maybe he really would do _anything_ to avoid Louis bothering him, but that was extreme even for Harvey.

Donna tells him they only have the library left to decorate, but Harvey keeps dropping random objects on whatever surfaces on their way like he wants to use up all the decorations there as soon as possible. That at least makes more sense – he wants to be done.

"Why are you even doing this yourself?" he asks several minutes later as he sprinkles some sparkly fluff on the center of a table at the library as if he's afraid the thing might permanently stick to his hand if he holds it for too long. "Doesn't the staff do this sort of thing?"

"They do," she replies as she adjusts a string of fairy lights at the side of one of the shelves. "I'm just adding some touches."

He quirks an eyebrow, grinning at her.

"What? I like it, okay?" She laughs and raises her arms at her sides, turning her palms in surrender.

"Oh, I know you do. Your desk always looks like a Macy's window in December."

He moves deeper into the library, watching as she hangs the final string of lights.

"Did you mean it about the snowman?" he asks.

"I did."

"But how come I never saw it?"

"I usually hid it among your records. I kept betting myself you'd find it, but you never did."

He laughs. "So you decided to be obvious with the decoration this year?"

"Something like that."

"But no snowman?"

Donna glances at him and smirks, doing a quick raise of her eyebrows before focusing back on her task.

"You're kidding?" he laughs.

"Rupert has been hiding behind your records for over a week now."

"Rupert? You named the snowman?" He grins widely.

"Poor thing gets lonely in there!"

She finishes the last of the fairy lights, turning of the switch and admiring the full effect of the golden flick from the Christmas lights among the books and the caramel wood of the library shelves.

"It looks good," he mentions softly.

"So I think we're done?"

There's a casualty to his tone as he says, "Not really. There's this one thing left," and lifts a mistletoe from the box on the floor beside him.

"Oh." She feels an unusual awkwardness travel her body at the sight of the object and hurries to be efficient as a way to avoid it. Taking the small twig from his hand, she climbs up a few steps on the bookshelf ladder and ties its little string around the metal railing so it dangles above whoever tries to get a book from the Civil Procedure section.

When she looks down, Harvey's right beneath her, holding the ladder in place. She starts climbing down the few steps, but before she can reach the ground his voice stops her.

"Hm… Donna?" He's blocking her way, standing at the bottom of the ladder so she can't climb down the final step. "Do you realize where we're standing?"

He looks up to a point above her head and she doesn't even bother following his sight. She raises both eyebrows at him, cocking her head to the side, telling him to not be absurd all while working really hard on tampering down the hot riot that erupts at the pit of her stomach and balancing herself on the ladder.

"I don't make the rules! The thing is right there," he defends.

"Yeah, but I just hung it up."

"Are you saying this is a loophole?"

"A what now?"

"A loophole on the mistletoe tradition. Because you hung it up, you don't have to kiss me? Or is it a matter of when? Is there a specific amount of time it takes for the mistletoe rule to kick in in which you don't have to follow the tradition?"

"Are you trying to confuse me into kissing you?"

"I'm just making sure, Don. I mean, you're standing on a running ladder. What if we don't kiss and then you break your foot in three different places?"

Wide eyes stare down at him, mouth agape in something that mixes shock and amusement. Is he actually, really, making an argument to kiss her right now?

"I'm just… concerned for your safety," he mentions in a low tone as both his hands reach for her.

Harvey places his hands on her waist, pulling on her. Her hands reflexively go to his biceps for support as he lifts her the slightest and then places her safely on the ground, body flush with his.

One of his hands move up from her waist to cup her jaw as he barely adds, "Just to be safe…" His hand moves a bit to rest behind her ear, a thumb brushing her cheek as he leans and presses his lips over hers. Her mouth parts the slightest at the contact and he sucks on her bottom lip, then drags his open mouth over hers to suck on the top one.

Her hands are griping at his biceps and, through the stream of electricity that runs over her entire body, she realizes she's kissing him back, eager for more.

He stops it just as slowly as he started, parting his lips from hers but staying close, breathing her air, his own breath warming her lips. Then his hands slide from her body, setting her free.

"Okay, so…" his voice is so hoarse he has to clear his throat before finishing his sentence. "Now that you're safe I'm going to, hm… get back to work."

He leaves her behind in the library feeling utterly astonished.

.

 **December 17th, 8AM**

Days later, stepping inside the firm, she's still wondering what the hell had happened as she sighs heavily and presses the elevator button.

They did say they wanted to go back to normal and they have been warming up to physical contact with the hugs and linking arms and sly touch of hands, but did Harvey really think _that_ was normal? Or worse: was he really so completely unaffected by her that he could just casually kiss her and move on with his life as if it was nothing?

His every thought, feeling and motivation used to be so easy for her to read, but now she has absolutely no idea what's going on inside his head. For the first time in forever she wonders if maybe, just maybe, she's never really been able to read him properly when it comes her. Maybe nothing changed; maybe this had always been the case.

"Morning."

Of course destiny would lock her in a metal box with Harvey when she's feeling so frustrated she could punch him.

"Hey," she says with a deep, calming breath.

"How was your weekend?" he asks casually, leaning against the elevator wall as it starts to ride up.

"Uneventful. Yours?"

Harvey launches into a speech about a case he had to work all weekend and how opposing counsel was a dick and whatever else she can't concentrate on because all she can think about is how it's even possible that he is so emotionally unaware. Or unavailable. Or uninterested.

Or maybe it's her fault.

She yelled at him about a kiss being just a kiss the last time, seeing as they had done so much more than that, so maybe now he thinks it's no big deal.

They step out of the elevator for another day of work and she decides to let it go, mainly because she doesn't see what else she can do about it.

It was just a kiss.

Well, two, actually.

.

 **December 20th, 7:27PM**

Harvey drops his head back on his chair, staring at the darkened ceiling of his office. He can't concentrate.

He is always relentlessly focused on work, except whenever Donna Paulsen's lips touch his, apparently. It had happened last time and it is happening again now.

He could barely believe the opportunity when it presented itself. He had never felt more affection towards Louis and his bullshit. He could've kissed the man, if he weren't so eager to kiss Donna.

He thought it was a perfect plan. He would kiss her because he had to, because Louis wouldn't shut up, because it was tradition or whatever, so she couldn't blame him for it. So it didn't matter if she didn't want more. It didn't matter if she wouldn't feel anything.

But it would give him the opportunity to kiss her again, something he had been wishing for with every fiber of his being for months. Maybe years.

Her lips were so soft and warm and she tasted sweet and sighed breathily into his lips and _fuck._

His perfect plan had a flaw he forgot to account for — she was intoxicating, addictive. So, instead of getting it out of his system like he planned, he just needed more of her.

He turned the stupid decorations inside that box, desperate for an opportunity and he believed Christmas miracles when he found one more mistletoe. So he offered to help decorate, hiding the object, saving it for when they were alone. Just one more kiss.

He wanted to press her against those bookshelves, pull her leg around his hip and make love to her, or fuck her, whatever she would allow. But she would allow for nothing because she didn't feel anything.

So he savored what he had and left. It was just a kiss.

Well, two, actually.

But he still needed more.

.

 **December 22nd, 6:32PM**

There's no gift for Harvey. He gets what he wants and he doesn't want what he doesn't get and her knowing that is the only gift he ever needs from her.

That's her philosophy and the great beacon of knowledge she passes on to people like Mike when they want advice on what to get Harvey.

But one of the other core principles outlined in the book of Donna is that just because a person gives advice it doesn't mean that they have to follow that same advice, so she does give him presents. Not always for his birthday or any other random calendar marked opportunity, but always for Christmas.

She's been adding to his record collection for years. And his tie collection, baseball memorabilia, a book here and there… She even gave him a Christmas sweater as a joke one year. It was dark green with little snowman knitted around the hem and the collar and his reaction was exactly what she had expected – an eye roll and a chuckle that lingered. She wouldn't be surprised to find out he secretly wore it by himself, hidden in his apartment. It was a really cozy sweater.

They've reached this unspoken agreement that it would be best if she bought her own gifts, though. Harvey really was a terrible gift giver. Heart in the right place and all, but the man was clueless.

Thinking back to their first year working together, it always made her laugh. How he wasn't buying into her "I'm Donna and I know everything" line. He thought she was either into him or full of shit. Or both. And that he knew her as well as she knew him. (He was both into her and full of shit.)

He said she was bluffing and maybe just paying a bit too much attention and that's why she always seemed to just know things. And to prove his point he would buy her the perfect birthday present.

Years later he would come to confess that, really, he went through two weeks of frustration and agony because he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out what to get her.

When her birthday came, since he had absolutely no idea what to get her, instead of settling for mediocre, he decided to give her the worst possible gift he could think of, so he could pretend he failed on purpose. So they would just have a laugh about it and he wouldn't have to confess how hard he tried.

.

" _Are you—what the hell?!" she exclaimed, opening the box and rapidly shoving its content back inside. "Seriously?"_

 _He smirked. It was the smuggest and most teasing expression she had seen on his face up to that point in their working relationship (and that would soon be surpassed by the look on his face when she told him she had been waiting for him to figure out that it was time to come inside)._

" _Since you're into me and all," he explained, hoping she'd buy into his act._

 _It didn't take her two seconds._

" _You had no idea what to get me, did you?" She laughed._

 _His tongue just slapped his palate, making a tsk sound._

 _She laughed louder. "You are such an idiot."_

.

She did keep the black, lacy lingerie. It was as pretty as it was inappropriate. But months passed and when Christmas came he just extended her his credit card with his password scribbled on a post-it note, wishing her a Merry Christmas and making her laugh. And thus her impressive collection of bags began.

And it didn't bother her at all. Not only because she got to pick whatever she wanted, on every random calendar marked opportunity, even Secretary's Day – and they were all _great_ gifts – but because she knew it didn't say anything about how much Harvey cared. And he _always_ asked what he had gotten her.

"Hey," he greets, brows lightly rising as he enters his own office and finds Donna sitting at the couch, a tumbler of scotch in her hands and another one waiting for him on the coffee table. The office is dark and the flicker of the string of lights among his records makes a nice effect, he has to admit. Some melody he doesn't recognize envelops the room, coming from his record player. It's calm and quiet and beautiful. "What is that?" he asks as he reaches for the drink.

"That," she points to the record player, "is your Christmas present."

He takes his time tasting the scotch. Places the free hand on his pocket, staring at nowhere in particular. Then he rounds the coffee table and joins her on the couch, placing his feet on the surface in front of him.

"You like it." She assesses by his reaction.

"Hm-hum." He nods and smiles, seeming deeply caught up on the melody. "And what have I gotten you?"

"The most beautiful cashmere coat. You have great taste."

"I sure do."

This was their thing, Christmas drinks.

They drink on a lot of occasions, actually, but it's a Saturday and Donna isn't working on the 24th and they always took some time together when they knew it was the last time they would see each other before Christmas. It's one of those unspoken rituals they had created for themselves.

Harvey stays in the city most Christmases. She's stayed with him a few times over the years, when they were particularly caught up on a case, but usually she just goes to stay with her family – a thing he never did in all the years they have worked together.

Sometimes he went to Boston on the weekend after Christmas to see his brother and the kids, when he had a particularly empty calendar, but never on Christmas day. He wouldn't run the risk of having to face his mother. But now things were good between them and Marcus was recently divorced and she wondered about his plans.

"Are you working on Monday?" she asks.

"Just the morning and then I'm… I'm going up to Boston." He glances at her in time to see her lips tugging up sweetly. She's happy for him. "Are you going to your mother's?"

"No, she's on a cruise." Donna rolls her eyes good-humoredly.

"So you're going to visit your father?"

She shakes her head. "He went to North Carolina to visit my uncle and there's no way I'm facing a crowded pre Christmas JFK to go to North Carolina for two days."

Harvey seems baffled by her words. "What? But… Are you staying here? By yourself?"

She nods noncommittally.

"But you can't!"

"Why not?"

"It's Christmas!"

She chuckles a little at how perplexed he is. "Since when do you care about that?"

"Since when do you not?"

"It's just one day, Harvey." She shrugs.

He looks at her like he wants to say something. Hesitates. She can't make out if he's forcing the words in or out. But then he just shuffles in his seat, finishes his drink and moves to pour them another one.

They finish the bottle that night before wishing each other a Merry Christmas and going their separate ways.

.

 **December 24th, 4PM**

He's not exactly sure how he's going to spin this around yet. It's not as if he could come up with some bullshit excuse because she'd see right through him and he damn well knows it. So when he knocks on her door it's not without the knowledge that he'll have to count on her willingness to let the obvious questions slide by.

A swish of air catches her hair as the door swings open and her eyes widen when she sees him standing there, hands in his pockets, a smile on his lips, trying to look as casual as possible.

"Harvey! What are you doing here?"

"Hey!" He almost chuckles at how stunned she looks.

She smiles, but one eyebrow raises in suspicion. "Aren't you supposed to be in Boston?"

"Change of plans."

"Oh?"

He shrugs. "Can I come in?"

She lets him in and follows him inside, a confused frown pronouncing itself between her eyebrows. "Did something happen?"

He's ignoring her question, distracted by the change in scenery. "Oh. This is new." He gazes around her living room, which looks so different from the last time he had been there.

"Oh, yes, you haven't been here in a while..." her mind apparently going to the same place.

He hasn't. Not since almost going to jail and needing her to cope. It seems like a lifetime ago and he can't shake the weirdest feeling he's missed out on so much, for some reason. "It looks nice."

She smiles as a thank you, watching him shrug his coat off and fold it at the back of the couch. "So. What happened?"

There's really no point in even trying. No car defaults, icy roads or faulty trains could ever fool her. So he just goes ahead and says it. "Nothing happened. Thought you could use some company on this jolly night."

Her lower lip drops and she tries to recover with a shaky chuckle. "What? What about your family?"

He could just say she's family to him. It's true and he's said it before, but for some reason, in the moment, it feels like too big of an admission.

From the way his head tilts and the look he gives her, he might as well have said it.

"Harvey, that's really sweet of you, but you can't. You've missed too many Christmases with you family already and—"

"Save your breath, Donna. This is one thing you're not changing my mind about."

She smirks. "I bet I could, change your mind."

"Probably," he concedes. "But by then it will be New Years already so at least pour me some wine."

She shakes her head unbelievingly, but she's stalking to the kitchen to get him a glass and when she comes back he's comfortably seated at her couch, refilling her own glass with the bottle of wine that was on the coffee table.

He's barely sipped his wine and she's trying again.

"Seriously, Harvey. You don't have to do this, I'm fine. I chose to stay in the city."

"I know."

"And this would be your first Christmas with your family in forever!"

"I know."

"Harvey." She fixes him a look, paired with a sharp exhale and that's her telling him to get serious.

"Maybe I want to stay," he poses quietly, bringing the glass of wine back to his lips to buy some time, before continuing in a more confident tone. "I'd rather stay in the city too, I still have so much work to do this week."

For some reason she lets him get away with the excuse, and overlooks the deep sincerity of his first statement.

She smiles softly. "We haven't spent Christmas together in a long time."

 _Too long_. He swallows the thought down with wine, but takes her words as a win, a permission to stay. He watches her getting more comfortable on the couch beside him, sitting on top of her folded legs and relaxing back against the cushions.

"So." He places his glass on the coffee table, leans back. "What were you doing? What do people even do on this day?"

Donna chuckles. " _People_ are probably preparing insane amounts of food right now, but I was just about to watch a movie."

"But you _do_ have food?" He gasps, mock concern in his tone.

"Hey, you show up at people's door at Christmas Eve, good manners say you bring a dish."

"Yeah, but what a waste that would've been if you kicked me out."

That makes her laugh. "Come on, you weren't really worried about that."

"No," he smirks. "I wasn't."

She attempts to hide her smile by looking for the remote control on the couch. "I do have food. I might agree to feed you if you don't annoy me too much."

She doesn't ask if he wants to watch that particular movie as she sets it up on the TV or whether he's cold as she pulls a throw blanket from the back of the couch and drapes it over both of their laps. She simply does it and at some point during the movie, as a couple of actors jump into a lake to save the pages of a book, as a light snow breezes in the wind outside her window and the golden flicker of her Christmas tree lights reflects on her TV set, he feels her foot faintly press against the side of his thigh and he wonders how something he's never done before can feel so familiar.

"I love this part!" She pushes her toes against his leg to call his attention and brings him out of his own mind and back to the movie.

.

Apparently he managed to not annoy her since she does feed him eventually. She tries to make him believe he should congratulate her on the delicious food she's cooked, but they both perfectly know she ordered out and they just find themselves in a buzzed off of wine fit of giggles.

"So what do you say? Are you up for a double feature?" She asks once they're done with all the food and talking.

"Absolutely. As long as I can pick the movie."

"Oh, come on!" She laughs. "You loved the movie!"

"Don't push it."

"You did."

She can't see the smile on his face as he moves back to the couch. When she joins him, he already has a movie set up and ready to go.

"I see we're keeping the Christmas theme," she mentions, pleased with his choice.

"Well, it's been brought to my attention that I need some holiday spirit in my life, so I'm making an effort to participate on some traditions."

She raises her eyebrows. "Oh, is that what you've been doing."

He senses something akin to irony or annoyance in her tone, though he can't quite place it. "Yes, I even moved Rupert to my desk," he tries for the sake of lightning the unexpectedly heavy atmosphere.

"You've really gotten attached to decorations recently." She says and this time he can definitely place the contempt right where he put it — in the middle of the firm where he kissed her, needing to get a free pass so badly he grossly ignored the fact that he obviously wouldn't. "Can you just play the movie?"

He does as she asks, taking the unexpected opportunity to not have to answer that as the black and white images start passing by on the TV.

Donna's posture is stiff, arms crossed tightly in front of her body as she stares blankly ahead and, after an uncomfortable while, he decides if _that's_ how she's feeling about it, they need to talk before it screws everything up between them again. He got away with it for too many days already.

"Hey," he calls hoarsely.

"Just watch the movie."

"You're pissed."

"I'm not _pissed_. I just…" She shrugs and looks around. He thinks she's probably looking for a way to explain to him for the millionth time that he's clueless about what she feels, because he really is. Instead she says, "What are you even doing here, Harvey?"

"Spending Christmas with you. What's so hard to get about this?"

"We don't do this, Harvey! We don't lay on the couch watching movies, we don't spend entire nights in each other's apartments, we don't kiss at libraries!"

"Only offices…" It escapes his mouth before he can make up his mind about it.

Her breath catches and he thinks she could slap him. Instead, she ignores him. "It's Christmas, you're supposed to be with your family." There's a finality to her tone that feels like she's opening the door and kicking him out.

"I wanted to be with you," he says simply and it rolls out of his tongue so easily he thinks he might as well add the whole truth. "I always want to be with you."

He sees something in her eyes, the way she blinks and her mouth parts, but she's silent for so long he thinks he screwed everything up again, sees himself having to get up and walk out the door. Again. And the thought feels somewhat panicky.

"Harvey, this is not… you can't say things like that to me and then…" she finally starts to say, but let her words die.

"And then what?"

"Expect them not to affect me."

"Well, I'm sorry Donna, but weren't you the one who told me we need to able able to tell each other the hard truths? I'm sick of acting like this isn't what I want."

The look in her eyes is something pretty damn close to indignant, but her voice is painfully indifferent. "Harvey, if whatever this is is so _hard_ for you, then it's not what you want."

He clenches his jaw, trying to lock something down. It doesn't quite work.

" _This_ ," he motions between then, "is not hard. This is the easiest, best thing I've ever felt in my life. What's hard is knowing that in a couple of hours I'll have to say goodnight and walk away and go on with this goddamn life pretending I didn't want to stay."

He watches as she blinks a couple of times. By the way her chest rises and falls rapidly he can tell her heart is racing and, hell, can he relate.

Her voice is barely above a whisper. "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious why I want to stay, Donna?" He sighs in exasperation, avoiding her eyes as the almost confession escapes him.

"No. Why do you have to go."

It's the first time a small bit of hope raises inside him, crashing down inside his chest, dripping to his ribs until he remembers to take a breath.

He looks at her and doesn't want to say it because how pathetic would that be, how desperate and vulnerable it would make him.

But, as it turns out, that's exactly what he is about her.

"Because. You didn't feel anything."

"And you did?"

She sounds surprised and he doesn't fucking get it. "I told you I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Donna." It's just her name, but it seems like a good point to make.

"I could prove you wrong right now, but you made me promise that would never happen again."

There's only resentment in the smirk she gives him and, God, he really had been _such_ a dick.

"When have you ever done anything I told you to?" he tries, but she's not budging.

"When I promise. This time, it's on you, Harvey."

He's silent for a little while, staring at his fidgeting fingers between his knees.

"It was so hard to stop kissing you the other day. I don't know that I could do it again. But I also don't know how am I supposed to go on knowing I don't get to do it at all."

Her lips part at his words and he moves closer to her on the couch. He's looking into her eyes but he can't hold her sight, eyes glancing down to her lips, _so close_ , and back to the big, familiar pair staring at him with something that's not only astonishment, but maybe, _just maybe_ , also longing.

A hesitant hand reaches for her and drops back to his side before finally growing the guts to cup her jaw, run a smooth thumb across her cheek, brushing the corner of her mouth. He thinks he feels her shiver, but that could easily just be him.

When she mutters his name, her breath touches his lips and he closes his eyes, stunned by the effect that has down his entire body.

He runs a hand around her waist, pulling her closer, and drags his lips against hers in a light touch. "You can't tell me you're not feeling anything, Donna, because I'm losing my goddamn mind."

He speaks into her lips and squeezes her waist and he swears it's almost a moan when she says, "Will you just kiss me already?"

He crashes his lips against hers and there's a mutual sigh that sounds a lot like relief. Their lips bruise as he pulls her to him, an arm circling her waist and a hand traveling to the back of her neck, beneath her hair.

Donna's hands are at the sides of his neck, his chest, running down his ribs, and her tongue tastes sweet. His open mouth drags down from hers, around her chin and down her throat, feeling the way it vibrates against his tongue when she moans.

He's kissing down the side of her neck, sucking on her skin, trying to reach her clavicle with her sweater stalking his progress, but then her hands are gently pulling him back up to face her.

"Harvey… what is this?" she asks and he tries to focus through the haze of arousal. "A serious case of holiday loneliness?"

"A serious case of needing you."

"I can see _that_." She glances down his pants.

That sobers him up. He breathes in and out, running both his hands down her face, until they tangle beneath her hair, gripping her. "Why won't you get how much I want you?"

Donna bites her lips and he makes a note to try that soon.

"Because you never told me."

"Thought I just did."

She's silent, just looking at him, and it's the unusual familiarity of her silence, a kind he distinctly remembers from another night so many years ago in that very apartment, that does it for him. It brings a sort of comprehension he'd never had before, hitting him for the first time that maybe he has to ask. "You know I love you, right?"

The answer is pretty obvious when her lips part and eyes widen right in front of him.

"No. I didn't," she says simply.

Harvey smiles and it's wide and boyish. "How's that even possible?" He feels like laughing.

"Shut up," she says, lightly pushing him and his hands slide down her back. "It's not like you knew."

He grins because he did know. He meets her lips and it's slow and wet and, when her arms fold around his neck, it feels like he could do that forever.

Her hands find their way under the hem of his sweater and her fingers are running over his stomach as she nibbles on his neck and earlobe and _fuck._

His hand runs down her neck, grazing the side of her breast, ribs and thigh, until it slips under the back of her knee and he's guiding her to his lap. She straddles him and what the hell took them this long to be this close.

He pushes his hands under her sweater, feeling her soft skin, squeezing her waist and grazing her rib bones until he reaches the underside of her bra and wonders what she's still doing dressed. She raises her arms to help him pull the clothing over her head. Her hair drapes over one shoulder when it falls down. Harvey stares at the way the ends of her hair lay against the swell of her breast, at the array of freckles there, at that little white spot right at the middle of her chest he's always wanted to taste. But mostly at her breasts, so perfect and at his disposal, perked up perfectly by a light shade of lace that almost blended with her skin.

"Shit…" He looks back up to her face. "You're so beautiful."

Her eyes glimmer and she grins widely, but can't avoid the tease, "Are you going soft on me?"

"I'm definitely not…" He grabs her hips, pulls her forward, grinding her down on his hard length, "... _soft."_

Something between a moan and a chuckle escapes her throat and she's rapidly pulling his sweater off of him and joining their lips. Harvey kisses her shoulder, tongue traveling around a maze of freckles. His teeth grates her skin, dragging down her bra strap.

He bites her lower lip, holds it between his teeth while he unhooks her bra, and lets it slip when he feels her hard nipples right in the palms of his hands.

He kisses down between her breasts, mouth dragging to the side until it reaches a nipple to suck on, hands holding her on her ribs, right under her breasts, but he's losing his mind because she won't stop rolling her hips, grinding against his erection in a slow, torturous speed.

"Donna…" he pretty much begs, resting his forehead on her chest in a deep moan.

She leaves his lap, standing in front of him. He reaches for her and unbuttons her pants, glancing up, a smirk full of bad intentions as he pulls her zipper down and then her pants, while she holds his shoulders for support.

And then she's standing in front of him in just her underwear, all long expanse of pale, freckled skin and red hair that falls around her face as she looks down at him, a soft smile on her red, swollen lips and he feels like he's lost his ground.

He smooths his hands up the backs of her thighs, places a kiss under her bellybutton, then rests his chin there, looking up at her.

Donna's fingers run softly through his hair, cradle his head.

"You do know I love you too, right?" she asks, low and sweetly.

He grins at her, all crinkles around his eyes and vulnerability. His chin swings on her belly when he shakes his head to say that no, he didn't.

Her hands run down his neck, resting at his shoulders, and she smiles as she asks, "How's that even possible?"

He stands, towering over her, holding her in his arms and kissing her deeply. She's hugging him, pulling him into her and deepening their kiss. Her hands run down to unbutton his pants and he helps her push it down his legs along with his briefs.

He backs down to sit at the couch again. Hooks his fingers on the sides of her panties as he slowly pulls them down her legs. The piece of clothing is still at her knees when his lips meet her skin, kissing right above her slit and then around it. His mouth opens and then his tongue is pressing against her folds, sliding down and licking back up and she needs to hold on to his arms when her knees buckle. His lips close around her clit and he sucks gently before parting his mouth from her to enjoy the deep moan she lets out.

"I've missed this." He grins up at her, licking her wetness from his lips.

"Well, _it_ missed you too," she jokes and he chuckles, placing a kiss to her hip bone and sliding her underwear the rest of the way down her legs.

Then her knees are bending at his sides as she straddles him again, only skin against skin, as she sucks on his lips and her hand turns around the tip of his cock, pressed against his stomach. She does it again, and again, and he needs to hold her wrist and still her or else this is ending way too soon.

She lets out a small chuckle and lets go of his cock. Short nails ride up and rake his shoulders and back as she nibbles down his jaw. Her pussy is pressed against his dick and it's maddening. He feels it throb and he's pretty damn sure he could easily come like this. His hand slides down her stomach, reaching between her legs and lightly holding her clit between two fingers. She whimpers and his dick throbs way harder.

"Do we need a condom?" he asks into her hair, words muttered against her neck.

A little moan escapes her throat before she tells him no. "I'm good. Are you—"

"Yes."

Her voice is barely audible. "Okay."

He looks at her as he guides himself inside and he's sure the way her eyes close and her lips part as he fills her is the best thing he's ever seen. Her nails dig into the space between his neck and shoulders and she feels wet and tight and his.

She rolls her hips, adjusting him inside herself and he grunts. He kisses her as she starts moving slowly up and down his dick. He sucks under her collarbone and the swell of her breasts, his fingers digging into her skin, down her back and squeezing her ass while he lets her ride him at her own rhythm.

She starts to pant and breathlessly plead, "Harvey…"

That's when he grabs her hips, pulls her down at him harder and faster, meeting the thrusts with his body. She falls forward on his shoulder and starts kissing his neck, open mouthed as she moans against his skin.

He knows he won't last much longer, so he's fucking relieved when he feels her clenching around him. She grabs the short strands of hair at the back of his neck and kisses him, sucking on his lips until they're both grunting and she's coming all around him. He keeps moving, and pulling at her hips and she's still moaning on the crook of his neck when he comes, calling out her name.

They stand still, calming down their breaths in silence, his hands lazyly caressing her thighs. When she attempts to move, he quickly wraps his arms around her, holding her in place.

She drags her nose up his neck, kisses his cheek, lifting herself a bit to look at him.

"Hey there."

He grins softly at her, his hands smoothing up and down her back. "Hey"

"So this was…"

"If you say a Christmas miracle I'm walking out that door."

She laughs freely. "No, you're not."

Her cheeks are flushed, her hair disheveled and she's never looked more beautiful.

"No," he agrees, reaching to place a kiss on her lips. "I'm not."

"Are you comfortable there?"

"Very." He grins widely.

"Well, too bad, I need to move."

"Okay," he answers, but he's not really agreeing, but rather kissing her again, sucking on her bottom lip until he can slide his tongue inside her mouth.

She kisses him back before she slides off of his lap, laying down on the couch beside him, but leaving a leg draped over his. They lay together silently for a little while, his hand gently running over her skin.

"Hey, I've got something for you," he remembers suddenly.

She frowns watching him reach for his coat and get back to her with something in his hands.

"What is this?"

"Christmas gift," he says casually.

"You already gave me my Christmas gift."

"When have you started complaining about gifts?"

"Hm… when you gave me a lingerie for my birthday, so about thirteen years ago, give or take?"

He laughs and places a rectangular, black leather box on her hands. "Too small for lingerie, I think you're safe. Although, I wouldn't oppose really, really small ling—"

"Shut up."

She's still giggling when she opens the box, but the sight of what's inside sobers her up.

The necklace in there has a dainty golden chain from where a small round emerald green stone hangs, transparent and cut to perfection, a thin golden band circling around it.

"Harvey…"

"Do you like it?" he feels stupidly anxious about it for some reason, but he probably doesn't need to because she's gazing at the object with her eyes bright and lips parted.

"Of course I do, it's beautiful!" Her fingers delicately touch the necklace inside the box. "I don't know what to say…"

"Come here." He takes it from her hands and gestures for her to turn around.

She turns her back, pulling her hair down one shoulder and waits till he clasps the necklace. He holds her shoulders, kisses the side of her neck, and then his voice is smooth on her ear when he asks, "So what you're saying is… I am now officially a great gift giver? And I know you as well as you know me?"

"You are such an idiot," she laughs, turning back around to face him. He eyes the green rock laying against her freckles, red hair brushing against it when she turns, before she drapes her arms on top of his shoulders, necklace and breasts pressing to his chest and lips grazing his. "But yes, you kind of do."

He sighs. "Fucking finally."

.

 **December 25th, 7:26 AM**

"Come with me," he whispers into her hair, spooning against her back and still breathing heavily.

"I just did."

He snorts a laugh and lightly bites her shoulder before he adds, "To Boston."

She stiffens slightly in his arms, and then she's turning to face him.

"Today?"

Harvey nods. His smile is soft as he brings a hand to the side of her face, brushing her hair back. She's hesitant.

She's only half joking when she asks, "Isn't it a bit too soon to meet the family?"

"I think it's thirteen years too late."

His answer sort of melts her and the way she looks at him doesn't even try to hide it. But then a side of her mouth pulls in a teasing smirk as she wraps her arm around his body. "Really? It feels like twelve and a half to me."

He shakes his head because it hits him again just how much he loves her. It's a constant crashing wave, this feeling. But it still always manages to knock him over.

He kisses her and it's lazy and wet and her hands are soft as they drag around his bare back and he knows they'll be at his mom's for Christmas lunch.


End file.
